


Never Judge a Book by the Cover

by CaptRocket



Series: Fall for Unit Bravo [12]
Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, not so nice au, reading someone's journal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27710164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptRocket/pseuds/CaptRocket
Summary: This is a WIP in the story.  Nate talks with the AU Emma about his Emma and realizes that he's not fond of the other woman.
Relationships: Detective/Nathaniel "Nate" Sewell, Female Detective/Nathaniel "Nate" Sewell
Series: Fall for Unit Bravo [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2000119
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Never Judge a Book by the Cover

**Author's Note:**

> I promise, I really am working on making this into a full, multi-chapter fic. I’m in the middle of writing short parts of it when I have it in mind and then I’ll go back and add in the rest.

“She really eats like this?” she said, frowning as she stared into the open refrigerator. 

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Nate watched the woman curiously. She looked like her. Sounded like her. But that was it. She smelled different. It was still an alluring scent but it wasn’t that intoxicating one that he had first smelled when they met. Not that it was bad because it wasn’t. It was just…different.

“Emma’s very health conscious. Salads, fruits, yogurts, lean meats,” Nate said, keeping his eyes on the woman. “Don’t get me wrong, she has an occasional sweet but not too often.”

She slammed the door shut before turning around to face him. Folding her arms across her chest, she frowned as she leaned back against the kitchen counter. “She’s really nothing like me, is she?”

Scratching the side of his head, he gave her a weak smile. “There are some similarities.”

“Besides us looking alike? Our occupation?” She shook her head. “That’s about it. My apartment doesn't look like an antique store. I don’t like dressing like a librarian. And I sure the hell don’t drink herbal tea.” 

“Emma can’t drink coffee. It makes her jittery,” Nate said, as he pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

She tossed her dark brown hair over her shoulder, releasing a groan. “If I don’t drink coffee, I turn into a raging bitch. Like I am now.”

Nodding, he said, “Yes, other than the physical appearances you two are much different.” 

He walked around the kitchen isle and began to open cabinets. “She does have some coffee in here. Emma always keeps little things here for the team that she knows we like. Coffee for Adam. Snacks for Felix. There’s probably something here for Mason, too. I’m sure she won’t mind you looking around while you’re here, Emma.” He paused as he was measuring the coffee beans for the grinder to look at her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t assume that you’d want to be addressed by your first name without permission.”

“Emma’s fine,” she said as she moved around to the other side of the kitchen and sat down at one of the bar stools. “Is that what you call her? You’re a thing with her, right?”

He nodded as he turned on the faucet to fill the kettle. Smiling, he lit the stovetop to place the kettle on top. “Yes. For several months now. We have a great deal in common.”

Nodding her head slowly, she pursed her lips as she placed her elbows on the counter and leaned forward. “Taking a guess that she’s a bookworm, too.”

Turning around, Nate looked at her. “She enjoys reading, then yes.” Scratching his scruffy jaw, he said, “I’ll assume you’re not into literature.”

She scoffed. “Um…no. I can barely make it through case files sometimes without falling asleep. I’m more of the hands-on kind of girl.”

“Combat?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. My dad always wanted me to be able to defend myself.” She lifted one shoulder for a lopsided shrug. “I started doing martial arts when I was young. Did a little boxing when I was older, mostly for strengthening and cardio.”

“It’s no wonder why you and Adam are together,” he said as the kettle began to whistle. 

“Your Adam is different than mine. Yours is too quiet for me.”

“Adam keeps to himself. He and Emma have a strained relationship. They work well together but they don’t always see eye to eye.” He turned around, turning off the stovetop and removed the kettle to pour water into the French press. The remainder of the water he poured into his teacup. “And Felix and Mason? Are you good friends with them as well?”

“Ha!” she said, shaking her head. “Mason doesn’t stay in the room much with me. We tolerate each other but that’s about it.” Lifting her arms, she stretched them out then clasped her hands behind her neck. “Felix and I are okay. He’s fun to just hang out with and watch movies and stuff.”

Picking up the press, Nate turned around and sat it down in front of her along with a mug. “Cream and sugar?”

“Sure,” she said, pressing down on the handle of the press. She watched him retrieve the cream and sugar, placing it down in front of her before turning back to make his tea. “You’re not asking a question there, Natey.”

Keeping his back turned to her, he frowned. His Emma would never call him that because she said it didn’t suit him right. She always called him Nate unless if they were being intimate then she would call him Nathaniel.

“What question would that be?” he asked as he stirred his tea before turning around to face her.

“If we get along?” she said, holding the mug to her lips before taking a long drink. 

Nate didn’t know how she was able to drink so much caffeine prior to bed. Emma would be up all night if she did it. “I guess I shouldn’t assume that we do. From what you’ve said, your world is quite different than ours.” Taking a sip of his tea, he lowered the cup and looked at her. “Are we friends?”

“No,” she answered quickly, shaking her head. Seeing the look on his face, she laughed. “Sorry, you asked.” Taking another drink, she sat the mug down. “Okay…let me rephrase that. We work okay together but that’s about it. He’s just too nice.”

“And you ended up with Adam? Not Mason?”

She shrugged. “Weird, huh?” Taking another drink, she sat the mug back down and wrapped her hands around it. “He’s such a huge jerk sometimes. Took him forever to come out and tell me how he felt. Seriously thought he was going to strangle me a couple of times.” She sighed, looking across the kitchen at him. “If you haven’t guessed, I have a mouth that doesn’t know when to stop.”

Smiling, Nate nodded. “Quite the opposite of my Emma. She’s quiet but if she’s got something to say then she’ll say it. She’s a little more reserved.”

“She’s a mouse,” she said before taking another drink. Lowering the mug, Emma frowned. “No offense. But I’ve been dealing with my father up my ass forever. One thing I’ve learned is from him is if I don’t speak up for myself no one will.” Seeing that he was about to speak, she held up a hand to stop him. “Look. I’m sure she’s had all of the advantages of having her mother treat her like the princess that she is, but this isn’t me. None of this is me.”

He pushed himself from the counter and walked out of the kitchen into Emma’s bedroom. When he returned, he found herself pouring another cup of coffee. Dropping a book on the countertop, he tapped his finger on the binding as he stared at her, coldly.

“Maybe you should learn about her first before you make judgements into someone that you don’t know,” he said. “Like the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover until you find out what’s inside. Don’t let her soft-spoken behavior full you,” Nate said, pulling away from her and running his hand over the leather-bound journal. “When she speaks, everyone – and I do mean everyone – stops to listen to her. That’s what makes her a good negotiator. She’s been able to broker a couple of treaties now that no one thought she would ever be able to do because she listens, and she cares.”

Straightening himself, Nate walked back around the counter, picked up his teacup and drained the remainder of the contents down the sink. Carefully putting the delicate cup in the sink, he turned to grab his jacket.

“Mason’s here,” he said, sliding his arms into the sleeves of his jacket to put it on. “He won’t disturb you. If you need him just call out his name and he’ll be here.”

Emma spun on the chair, watching as he walked to the front door. Picking up the book, she held it up. “You want me to read her journal? Seriously?”

Opening the door, he looked back over his shoulder at her. “I want you to see the woman that you’re judging in her own words. Maybe after you read it, you’ll learn more about Emma.” He shook his head, releasing a soft sigh. “She’s not what you think she is.”

She watched him turn and leave, pulling the door shut behind him. Turning back on the stool, she looked down at the journal and frowned. This world was starting to get on her nerves and rattle her. She hoped they could get something from the spellcaster soon so she could get back to her own world because being stuck here was the last thing she wanted. 

Picking up her coffee, she took a long drink of it as she stared down at the journal. Setting the mug back down, she lifted the cover and flipped through the entries. The book was nearly full, the first entry from several years ago. Taking the journal, she walked over to the sofa and dropped down on it, kicking her feet up on the table in front of her. 

_“Graduation day and another empty seat. I don’t know what I was expecting but I had hoped that this time when she told me she would try to make it she would have actually tried. I assume that’s a pattern that I’ve grown accustom to with my mother. It’s been like that forever and most likely won’t change. Just once, I’d like to look out in a crowd and see her there._

_Honestly, that’s fine. I’ve graduated the police academy and I plan to follow in my father’s footsteps – I think. Since no one will talk to me about him when I ask I’ll just go with what I do know. He was a detective with the Wayhaven P.D. So that’s what I’m going to do._

_What little money I had left from selling the house and college, I put a deposit down on a small apartment and purchased some furniture from the thrift shop so I wouldn’t sleep on the floor. Tomorrow, Tina is going to help me move some things out of storage. I sold most of it before I left for school but there’s a few things in there that I can get out. But I will be on the sofa for a while. No TV but that’s okay. I like to read in the evening anyway.”_

Emma frowned. Her father was always there for her, sometimes too much. And he’s always talking about what a wonderful person her mother had been. As for money, she never worried about that. If she needed or wanted anything it was always there for her. 

“Maybe, Nate was right,” she thought. This Emma was much different than her. Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes. She should have known better before assuming anything about this Emma. After reading several entries she was starting to understand what Nate meant about her. 

For a moment she thought about closing the journal and walking away, but she couldn’t. Some of the entries were more emotional than others. Talking about cases she was working on. Dealing with victims. Her inner thoughts. 

It was then that she realized that this Emma was not as soft as she thought she was. This Emma’s words were gentle but other times completely dark. There was something lurking between the lines the more she read. Something that made her wonder if Nate had ever read this before. If he had, he probably wouldn’t have been willing to share it.


End file.
